Automatic car-coupling



No. 623,47I. Patented Apr. l8, I899. G. A. HERMANSON.

AUTOMATIC GAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Oct. 10, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSEs: J/VLENTOR. {am Cus 78F 62 Harm's/v60 ms firrarwvsys.

Patented Apr. l8, I899.

2 Sheets-Shun 2.

G. A. HEBMANSUN.

AUTOMATIC CAR COUPLING.

(Application filed Oct 10, 1898.)

No. 623,47l.

(Ila llodoi.)

C N w R N M m 1 N H w M i G 7//////////// aw Y B UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAF A. IIERMANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JAM 1th MUNTON, OF MAYIVOOD, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,471, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed October 10, 1898 Serial No. 693.112. 'No model) To (ML whom 2t 11mg concern..-

Be itknown that I, GUSTAF A. IIERMANSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and usefullmprove ment in Automatic Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car-couplers of the class employing a forked draw-head, a pivoted knuckle, and a gravity-lock. In this class of ear-couplers considerable diiliculty has heretofore been experienced from the gravity-lock working upward or creeping or climbing, as it is termed, when the cars are coupled in a train and the train is in motion, thus permittingthe cars to come uncoupled and sometimes causing disastrous accidents or wrecks. This creeping or climbing of the lock is due to the tail of the knuckle bearing against the lock and causing it to work upward under the combined intermittent action of pulling strains and the up-anddown vibrations or jolting movements of the car when in motion.

The object of my invention is to provide a car-coupler of a simple, efficient, and durable construction that will effectually overcome this difficulty or objection and in which the ordinary single-piece solid lock may be employed without any danger or possibility of its creeping or climbing upward and permitting the cars of a train to become uncoupled while in motion, while at the same time the lock is entirely free to be lifted when it is desired to unconple the cars. I accomplish this object or result by combining with the forked draw-head, pivoted knuckle, and gravity locking-pin or lock of any ordinary or suitable construction a movable shield or protecting-plate, which is interposed between the tail or rear arm of the knuckle and the lock and which fits between the upper and lower horizontal walls of the draw-head, so that it itself can have no upward movement, and can thus impart none to the lock. This shield or protecting-plate is made movable, so that it may swing horizontally to permit the knuckle to open when the locking-pin is raised. This shield or protecting-plate is also preferably provided with a horizontal wing for the lock to rest upon when in its elevated position, the knuckle moving the shield or protecting-plate under the lock as the knuckle opens.

My invention also consists in the novel construction of parts and devices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown and described, and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification and in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts th rougle out all the views, Figure l is a horizontal section of a car-coupler embodying my invention. Fig. is a similar view showing the parts in another position. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 4 is a crosssection on line i I of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A is the forked d raw-head 15, the pivoted knuckle; .U, the pivot-pin, and D the gravity-lock, locking-pin, or lockingblock. These parts may be of any ordinary, suitable, or desired construction. To prevent any tendency or danger of the lock working or creeping upward. under the varying movements of the car when the train is in motion, and thus permitting the cars to come uncoupled, I interpose between the lock D and the rear arm or tail 7; of the knuckle, which would otherwise bear directly against the lock when the knuckle is closed, a movable arm, shield, or protecting-plate F, which its between the upper and lower walls (I rt of the draw-head and is adapted to move or swing horizontally on a pivot f", by which its rear end is connected to the drawhead or draw-bar. This shield or protectingplate [its flat against the lock D, and thus gives an extended bearing against the locking-pin, and thus also adds materially to the strength, durability, and wearing qualities of the coupler. The movable or hinged shield or protecting-plate F is provided with a fork or socket f to receive the extreme rear end of the tail 1) of the knuckle, said tail being preferably provided with a rounded projection I) to fit in said socket orfork, so that the arm, shield, or protecting-plate F will be swung under the lock D by the tail of the knuckle when the knuckle is opened and be swung back into position to permit the lock D to drop when the knuckle is closed. The movable arm, shield, or protecting-plate Fis also preferably provided with a horizontal wing or plate f at its upper edge for the lock 1) to rest upon when the shield F is swung under the lock. The tail of the knuckle B is also preferably provided with an offset or shelf 0 at its rear edge and the shield or protecting-plate F with a shoulder or offset f projecting over said shelf 1) on the tail h of the knuckle.

In order that the lock D may be held in its lifted position while the knuckle is closed and so that the knuckle may open when the ears are pulled apart, I provide the passage-way a in the draw-head, through which the lock D is inserted, with an enlargement or inclined side a to permit the lock to be tilted, as illustrated in Fig. l, and to hold the lock in this position I provide the shield or protecting-plate F with a raised part or projection f against which the lower end of the lock may rest when thus tilted and while the knuckle is closed. This raised part or projection f is provided with a curved or cam i'acef", and the lock D is provided with a notch d and a curved or cam face (Z which is engaged by the curved or cam face f of the projection f and serves to push the lock back into a vertical position when the lock, by reason of its notch (1', drops off the raised part or projection f To guide the descent of the lock 1) and cause it to enter the hole or passage-way in the lower wall of the draw-head, the shield F is provided with a guide or ledge f.

The swinging arm or shield F is also furnished at its extreme end with a lift or projection f, that engages the extreme end of the wall of the knuckle when the knuckle is open, and thus prevents the arm or shield F from accidentally swinging back in the way of the knuckle when the knuckle closes. This will be readily understood from Fig. of the drawings.

I claim-- 1. In a car-coupler, the combination with the draw-hcad, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a movable arm, shield or protecting-plate interposed between the lock and the tail or rear arm of the knuckle and bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head to prevent the lock working upward or creeping and the cars coming uncoupled, when the train is in motion, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the draw-head, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a movable shield or protecting-plate interposed between the lock and the tail or rear arm of the knuckle and bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head, said shield or protecting-plate being engaged by the tail of the knuckle and operated thereby, substantially as specified.

3. The combination with a draw head, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a pivoted shield or protecting-plate interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle and bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head, substantially as specified.

i. The combination with a draw head, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a movable shield or protecting-plate engaged by the tail of the knuckle and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle and bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head and provided with a horizontal wing for the lock to rest upon when the knuckle is opened, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with a drawhead, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a shield or protecting-piate interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle and bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head and provided with a projection or cam on its upper face to hold the lock in its elevated position, substantially as specified.

(3. The combination with forked draw-head A, of pivoted knuckle l3, gravity-lock D and pivoted shield or protecting-plate F, bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle and having a fork or socket to receive the extreme rear end of the tail of the knuckle, substantially as specified.

7. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-head, knuckle and lock, of a movable arm bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle and engaged by the tail of the knuckle and moved thereby under the lock to support the same when the knuckle opens, substantially as specified.

8. In a car-coupler, the combination with a draw-head, knuckle and lock, of a horizontally-swinging arm bearing against the upper wall of the draw-head and pivoted to the draw-head and engaged by the tail of the knuckle and moved thereby under the lock to support the same when the knuckle opens, substantially as specified.

The combination with a draw -head, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a swinging arm F bearing against the upper wall of the drawhead and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle, and having a fork or soeketf to receive the end of the tail of the knuckle and cause said arm to swing under the look when the knuckle opens, substantially as specified.

10. The combination with a draw-head, kn uekle and gravity-lock, of a swinging arm F bearing against the upper wall of the d rawhead and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle, and having a fork or socket f to receive the end of the tail of the knuckle and cause said arm to swing under the look when the knuckle opens, said lock having a notch (1', and said arm h having a cam-acting projection f, substantially as specified.

11. The combination with a draw head, knuckle and gravity-lock, of a swinging arm F bearing against the upper wall of the drawhead and interposed between the lock and the tail of the knuckle, and having a fork or socket f to receive the end of the tail of the knuckle and cause said arm to swing under 5 the look when the knuckle opens, said lock having a notch d, and said arm F having a cam-acting projection f and a guide or ledge f substantially as specified.

12. The combination with a draw-head, 1o knuckle and gravity-lock, of a swinging arin F bearing against the upper wall of the drawhead and interposed between the lock and l i l the tail. of the knuckle, and having a fork or socketf to receive the end of the tail of the knuckle and cause said arm to swing under the lock when the knuckle opens, the tail of the knuckle having an offset or shelf 11 at its rear edge and said arm F having a shoulder or oll'setf substantially as specified.

GUSTAF A. IIERMANSON.

Witnesses:

II. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND Ancook. 

